Ishan Kishan slammed the fastest double century in ODIs to help India steamroll past Bangladesh by 227 runs. Virat Kohli too notched up his 72nd century and left an impressionable mark in the game. The failure of Shikhar Dhawan in this game was pointed out by cricket pundits and even Dinesh Karthik commented on this.
Opening the innings, the seasoned southpaw managed to amass only 3 runs in 8 balls before behind shown the dressing room route by Mehidy Hasan Miraz. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the young Ishan Kishan grabbed on to the opportunity and produced a resounding performance.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Dinesh Karthik discussed the possible opening combination for the upcoming Sri Lanka series.
“For Sri Lanka series, where does Dhawan stand? It is going to be interesting to see how they are going to leave out Ishan Kishan. Shubman Gill has been doing so well. If Rohit Sharma is available, somebody has to miss out. It could well be him (Dhawan). That could be a sad end to a glorious career. But some questions to answer for the new selectors,” said Dinesh Karthik.
Dinesh Karthik said Shubman Gill could have opened for Team India if he was selected
The wicket-keeper batter also said that had Shubman Gill been in the side, he would’ve opened the innings as Rohit Sharma was injured.
“Interestingly, if Shubman Gill had been part of the squad, he would have probably opened because he has been doing it for some time with aplomb. Ishan Kishan, given an opportunity, has taken it with both hands. This is going to put Shikhar Dhawan in a fix,”
“It’s very nice to see someone coming out and being honest with the fact that, ‘you know what, I could have got a 300 if I had batted, but it didn’t happen’. Also shows his hunger. He has been walking that thin line with a few of the keepers being part of it and hence not getting that opportunity. Now, he has pushed that door and said, ‘I am ready. Are you going to look at me?” he added.
Interestingly, it was Ishan Kishan who was picked in India’s T20I squad for the ICC T20I World Cup in 2021, ahead of Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan has so far played 166 ODIs for India and has mustered 6790 runs at an average of 44.4.
Also read: ICC ODI World Cup 2023: 3 Reasons Why India Should Try New Opening Pair
